Male, female, deft, fraudulent, constantly shifting: which of the `masquerade' of passengers on the Mississippi steamboat Fidèle is `the confidence man'? The central motif of Melville's last and most `modern' novel can be seen as a symbol of American cultural history.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

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Book Description:

Long considered the author's strangest novel, The Confidence-Man is a comic allegory aimed at the optimism and materialism of mid-eighteenth-century America. A mysterious shape-changing Confidence-Man approaches passengers on a Mississippi steamboat and, winning over the (not quite innocent) victims with his charm, urges them to implicitly trust in the cosmos, in nature, and even in human nature-with predictable results.

The Confidence-Man represented a departure for Melville, a satirical and socially acute work that was to be a further step away from his sea novels. Yet it confused and angered reviewers who preferred to pigeonhole him as an adventure writer. Some have argued the book was a joke on the readers loyal to his sea stories, but if so, it backfired. Dismissed by critics as unreadable, and an undoubted financial failure, The Confidence-Man's cold reception undermined Melville's belief in his ability to make a living writing works that were both popular and profound, and he soon gave up fiction. It was not until the mid-twentieth century that critics rediscovered the book and praised its wit, stunningly modern technique, and wry view that life may be just a cosmic con game.

From the Inside Flap:

?In The Confidence-Man,? writes John Bryant in his Introduction, ?Melville found a way to render our tragic sense of self and society through the comic strategies of the confidence game. He puts the reader in the game to play its parts and to contemplate the inconsistencies of its knaves and fools.? Set on a Mississippi steamer on April Fool?s Day and populated by a series of shape-shifting con men, The Confidence-Man is a challenging metaphysical and ethical exploration of antebellum American society. Set from the first American edition of 1857, this Modern Library paperback includes an Appendix with Bryant?s innovative ?fluid text? analysis of early manuscript fragments from Melville?s novel.

Book Description Oxford University Press, 2009. Book Condition: New. Brand New, Unread Copy in Perfect Condition. A+ Customer Service! Summary: Male, female, deft, fraudulent, constantly shifting: which of the 'masquerade' of passengers on the Mississippi steamboat Fidele is 'the confidence man'? The central motif of Melville's last and most 'modern' novel can be seen as a symbol of American cultural history. Bookseller Inventory # ABE_book_new_0199554854

Book Description Oxford University Press, United Kingdom, 2009. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 193 x 130 mm. Language: English Brand New Book. Male, female, deft, fraudulent, constantly shifting: which of the masquerade of passengers on the Mississippi steamboat Fidele is the confidence man ? The central motif of Melville s last and most modern novel can be seen as a symbol of American cultural history. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. Bookseller Inventory # AOP9780199554850

Book Description Oxford University Press, United Kingdom, 2009. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 193 x 130 mm. Language: English Brand New Book. Male, female, deft, fraudulent, constantly shifting: which of the masquerade of passengers on the Mississippi steamboat Fidele is the confidence man ? The central motif of Melville s last and most modern novel can be seen as a symbol of American cultural history. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. Bookseller Inventory # AOP9780199554850

Book Description Oxford University Press, 2008. paperback. Book Condition: New. *** NEW COPY *** TITLE SHIPPED FROM UK *** Binding paperback Male, female, deft, fraudulent, constantly shifting: which of the 'masquerade' of passengers on the Mississippi steamboat Fidele is 'the confidence man'? The central motif of Melville's last and most 'modern' novel can be seen as a symbol of. Bookseller Inventory # 0199554854

Book Description Oxford University Press. Paperback. Book Condition: New. Paperback. 416 pages. Dimensions: 7.6in. x 5.0in. x 0.9in.Male, female, deft, fraudulent, constantly shifting: which of the masquerade of passengers on the Mississippi steamboat Fidle is the confidence man The central motif of Melvilles last and most modern novel can be seen as a symbol of American cultural history. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford Worlds Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxfords commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. This item ships from multiple locations. Your book may arrive from Roseburg,OR, La Vergne,TN. Paperback. Bookseller Inventory # 9780199554850